7 things you need to let go of to feel better

7 Things You Need to Let Go Of, To Feel Better

Sometimes we hold on so tightly to things that we don’t need. I think that when we live with chronic illness we hold on even tighter. Illness strips so much away from us that we can feel it necessary to hold onto anything that’s left, even if what we are holding onto isn’t at all good for us. Yet, there are many things we are holding onto that we need to let go of, and letting go of those things will allow us to feel better mentally, spiritually, and maybe even physically.

1. Let go of your anger. It’s so easy to be angry when you live with chronic illness. Who wouldn’t be angry and why shouldn’t we be angry? At least that’s how it feels when you are living in that anger. But, the truth is that anger isn’t helping us, it’s only making us feel worse. Anger increases our heart rate and blood pressure, it fills our heads with painful thoughts, and keeps us from focusing on anything that is good in our lives. Letting go of anger can be difficult but it’s necessary to exist peacefully.

2. Let go of worrying about what others are doing. Don’t focus on what others are doing, whether it’s what they are doing with their life or what they are doing for their health. They are not you. Sure you can look around and be inspired by others, but don’t get so caught up in their lives that you forget to focus on your own.

3. Let go of thinking that others are “better than you.” No one is better than you. They may seem that way in some areas of their life but you don’t know the whole story. When you allow yourself to focus on the ways that others are better than you, you aren’t focusing on your own needs and how you can improve yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others and focus on you.

4. Let go of false ideas. How often we get stuck and create negative feelings out of situations that don’t even exist. Rather than responding to situations we respond to a belief that we have created. When you find yourself stuck on a belief, stop and ask yourself “Is this true?” Are you sure it’s true? Can you prove it to be true? One false idea that those of us with chronic illness often get stuck on is the idea that we will never feel better. When you get stuck in that frame of mind, ask yourself “Have I ever felt better than I do right now?” If the answer is yes, then you can feel better again.

5. Let go of the need to avoid problems. “If I can’t see it, it isn’t there.” It’s so much easier sometimes to stick our heads in the sand than to deal with situations in front of us. For some of us that may be how our health reached the point that it has. But, we can’t keep sticking our heads in the sand. Whether it’s a health issue, bills piling up, or relationship struggles, you can’t hide from your problems. Hiding from the problems only increases the stress and stress simply makes us feel worse. It’s time to face the issues and work through them.

6. Let go of thinking that no one wants to be around you. People do love you and they do want to be around you. Sometimes it’s easier for us to blame others than to admit that we’ve been hiding and saying no for so long that those around us think that we don’t want to be part of their lives. Yes, they know we are sick, but we still have to make an effort to a part of their lives just as we want them to be part of ours. Next time you think someone doesn’t want to be around you, pick up the phone and call them.

7. Let go of the little things that annoy you. And there are so many little things. When we feel bad the little things seem so much bigger. Every little thing becomes the straw that broke the camels back, and our back seems to get broken every five minutes. At some point you just have to stop and breath and ask yourself, “is this really such a big deal?” “Is this important enough to make me this upset?” Chances are the answer is no. Chances are if you saw someone else getting so bent out of shape over the same thing you’d laugh, and that’s just what you need to do now.

Are you holding onto something that is holding you back and making you feel worse than you should? Are you increasing your anger, stress, sadness, and in doing so increasing your pain? If so, it’s time to let go.